


A Butterfly flaps its wings...

by ennui_deMorte



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-11-28 03:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/669718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ennui_deMorte/pseuds/ennui_deMorte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One change can make all the difference. Or - How the <i>Sound & Fury</i> universe may have become <i>Domesticus</i>. Though calling Starscream a butterfly might be pushing it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deviation

**Author's Note:**

> How the _Sound & Fury_ universe may have become _Domesticus_.
> 
> The beginning of the chapter is directly from Descant by fractalserpent, HopeofDawn  
> Chapter 8. The end of the 4th paragraph is where it deviates.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where everything changes.

_//All Chroniclers, carriers, all symbionts who wander and are lost: our function has been forgotten, yet our duty remains. Too many have fallen; and the remainder must survive, to carry what was into the future. Cybertron endures, and enters a new era; we shall do the same. The Kaon Arena calls to all who live under the shadow of obsolescence, to the guttering and to the broken. Here, we abide; here, we call you to join us._

_Soundwave, templar to Ravage, sends this message: we are here. The Kaon Arena offers sanctuary, aid, and energon to all who are willing to come, to take up their duties once more._

_The future comes. Soundwave: will stand to meet it... will stand with those who wish to do the same.//_

And Soundwave could feel, now, the crest of the wave reach Kaon, suborning all datastreams, gathering them up like so many ripples into the tidal swell. The wave was a babble of frantic orders, the frighteningly calm reading of an official condemnation. The wave was a litany of crimes against Senate and Prime -- and a warrant for the arrest and imprisonment of the Lord High Protector. The wave was an arctic storm of troop dispositions, mustering calls—a wave that was abruptly frozen and silenced by a powerful voice, icy with anger. 

It was not, however, the voice Soundwave had been anticipating. He had expected the voice to be the thundering and rumbling growl of the Lord High Protector. The voice held similar resonances, deep & powerful like the Protector’s, it thrummed with strength & conviction. 

_//I am Optimus Prime and the Senate does not speak for me._

_The Lord High Protector answers to I, and I alone._

_All charges are dismissed and the arrest warrant nullified. Troops will ignore further orders from the Senate and answer only to their commander—the Lord High Protector Megatron._

_Further action against Lord Megatron is, as it always has been, treason and will be dealt with accordingly._

_Kaon is not forgotten and will be addressed by the Lord High Protector and myself within the decaorn._

_Prime out.//_

A stillness, heavy with surprise, encompassed the networks. Everything paused, taking in the Lord Prime’s message and its contradictions to that of the Senate. Frenzied activity buzzed the networks back to life, ablaze with speculation and shock.

As unexpected as the outcome was, Soundwave was accustomed to change and would adapt. At least he knew which version of the Fall of the Overlord to use.

*****

Iacon was in chaos—the carefully contained, civilized chaos that the upper class indulged in—yet chaos all the same.

 

The Senate sat, stunned, as their mandates were ever so casually dismissed and at a loss of what to do next.

 

A medic grumbled to himself, occasionally yelling at the invader to leave his medbay, with a bit of unholy glee humming along the edges his EM field.

 

A bodyguard headed out to find his charge—not needed this orn his aft. It sounded like the bodyguard was going to get to try out his new cannons, though, so that might make up for having to hunt his charge down like a wayward sparkling.

 

The Lord High Protector sat posed to deliver his own list of charges against the Senate in rebuttal, only to find that he had been pre-empted. His carefully laid plans were now useless and yet he felt no frustration or irritation. The small ember of hope that he had thought himself rid of—for to hope for the impossible was weakness—blazed brightly once more. He controlled the blaze, ruthlessly damping it down, for he had been disappointed so many times it hurt to hope again. He did not, however, smother it completely. The incoming comm. made it light even brighter.

 

A Prime sat heavily after closing his transmission, stunned at his own audacity and wondering just what he had done. The image of two greyed-out frames & a grouchy seeker glaring at him immediately answered that processor thread. Resolutely, he opened a comm. channel that had gone unused for far too many vorn and was immediately connected. _Had it really been so easy this entire time…?_ A thread to follow at a later time.

_//Megatron..._

 

In the medbay, refusing to listen to the medic’s unreasonable demands to leave and ignoring the chaos they had inadvertently wrought with their presence, was a seeker speaking with his partner about their future plans. The one thing they agreed upon was that mysterious air shows were now off-limits--even if they featured one of the seeker's creations.


	2. Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reason for the deviation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // Signify comm. conversation.

_//Megatron, go to the Senate building and ensure that all in the building remain there. Please. Summon all the aid that you require.//_

_//If they resist?//_ If Megatron was surprised by the request or the comm., he did not show it.

_//Remind them that they just violated a direct order I personally gave them less than a joor ago and if they wish to be arrested, you will gladly oblige them.//_

_//If they persist?//_

_//Arrest them for violating a direct order from their Prime **&** their Protector and hold them with all the others.//_

_//As you wish, my Lord Prime.//_

_//My name, please Brother. You know I hate it when you call me that.//_

_//Exactly why I do it, Brother.//_ The amused glyphs used were clear to any who are close to Megatron and pulled an amused chuckle from Optimus.

_//Try not to shoot them. I wish for an explanation of their actions, which they cannot give if in stasis.//_

_//I will resist the temptation.//_ Megatron gives his own version of an amused chuckle. _//Or you could bring Ratchet.//_

_//Resist please.//_

A pause.

_//As pleased as I am in your new found confidence in me, Optimus, I must ask. Why?//_

_//I—was questioned why I trusted others above my own twin-spark. I found I had no reasonable answer._

_I told the Senate that I wished to investigate further before rendering judgement and that we would reconvene in a decaorn to revisit the issue._

_A joor after I left their presence, they made that announcement of your crimes with my authentication coding—against my direct orders. I could not allow it to stand.//_ The glyphs, before so clear & resolute, waver to less confident.

_//Ratchet assured me that the length of time was not unreasonable.//_

A thundering growl. _//It is **extremely** reasonable. They have grown too accustomed to giving orders and apparently forgotten that they must follow them as well.//_ Megatron's voice abruptly takes on a teasing tone. _//Optimus, have you, by chance, misplaced a bodyguard?//_

_//No.//_

_//So the figure stalking towards me, demanding to know what I did with you, is not here?//_

A muttered curse word Ratchet would be proud to know he taught his Prime quickly proceeded the rushed order: _//Use him to help detain the Senators. I will bring Ratchet.//_ The comm. was closed before Megatron could respond.

"So what'd he say?"

Megatron's grin is feral. "We are to detain the Senators, their aids and all in the building for questioning. If they resist, arrest them for treason. Optimus will meet us there."

"'E finally realize what a bunch of crooks they are?"

"Something like that."

"Good enough fer me."


	3. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation between the Senators and Megatron, with Optimus Prime acting as referee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // Denote comm. links.

Ironhide was impressed by Megatron’s restraint. He had yet to shoot one of the irritants known as Senators, though if this one kept up his condescending drivel, he may be the first.

“—outrage. On whose authority are we being detained?”

Ironhide tuned the Senator back out—still saying the same nonsense as the last 10 breems. Megatron made to move toward the Senator, temper finally at an end but stopped before even taking a step.

The satisfied feeling in the irritant’s field meant he thought Megatron was backing down. Did the Senators know nothing of battle? Understanding the opponent is the most important knowledge to possess. The war with the Rock Lords was an excellent example. Had the scientists understood exactly what the geodes were, they would have never dissected one, and the entire war would have been avoided.

The Senator was treating Megatron like a heavily armed version of Optimus, trying to use posturing and an air of superiority, of knowledge, to make him back down. Ironhide snorted derisively. Megatron only backed down at a show of superior firepower and perhaps not even then. The Lord High Protector had won plenty of battles that way; he would retreat temporarily and regroup when backup arrived.

“On his own authority. He _**is**_ the Lord High Protector of Cybertron.”

In this instance, Megatron’s back-up was a fragged-off Optimus Prime. Ironhide discretely moved out of his Prime’s way—the way his EM field was rippling was something Ironhide had only previously seen in Megatron’s field during battle.

~*~

_Less than a breem earlier:_

_//Problems?//_ Optimus Prime’s voice asked genially.

_//Soon to be one less problem.//_

_//Ironhide.//_ Ratchet growled over the comm. When it came to menace, how such a small mech—a medic at that—could outdo the Lord High Protector at times defied all laws of the universe. Then again, Ratchet rarely followed any rules but his own.

Ironhide replied, only a little indignant because most of the time it was him, _//Not me. Tha irritant asked Megatron one too many times why a Senator—//_ Ironhide used the pompous glyphs the Senator had used to stress his station, _//should bother listening ta Megatron.//_ The disdain that had been used to convey the Lord High Protector’s designation was equally clear.

The determined, adamant glyphs issued by Optimus brooked no argument. _//That will end **now**.//_

~*~

“On who’s authority—?“ The senator is abruptly cut off.

“On his own authority. He _**is**_ the Lord High Protector of Cybertron. If he wishes to detain you, you will cooperate or find yourself detained in stasis cuffs. Proceed, Lord Megatron.”

_//Lord Megatron? Ya sound like tha Senator, sucking up ta Megatron.//_

_//I am reinforcing that he is their ruler just as much as I am.//_ A vexed hesitation before continuing. _//Not that they listen to me either.//_

“Prime, you are not condoning this outrage?”

“No.” A pause, just long enough for the Senators to regain their smug attitudes—directing them toward Megatron—then Optimus finished: “I ordered it.” The shocked spluttering that followed this pronunciation was gratifying to both halves of the ruling dyad for different reasons. Unfortunately, the Senators regrouped quickly.

“Why?” 

Optimus ignored the Senator’s question, turning toward Megatron. “Have you done anything untoward to them?”

“No. Just asked them to stay,” Megatron rumbled in response.

“Ordered us to stay,” was the indignant rebuttal to Megatron’s statement.

“Ordered, asked—semantics.”

“How is it unreasonable to ask you to stay? **I** wish to speak with all those present for your _announcement_ earlier.” The Prime’s rage bleeds out through his field. “Why did you defy my order of postponing this matter to allow for evidence to be collected and the charges to be investigated?”

“The charges against M—Lord Megatron,” the Senator swiftly corrected to the proper, respectful glyphs to refer to the ruling Lord High Protector when Prime’s field flashes in irritation, “are just. You have no cause to overrule us. We demand you reinstate the charges—“

“If they are just, then waiting the decaorn you agreed to give me to issue them would not have mattered.”

“The citizens have a right to swift justice.”

“The citizens have a right to **_true_** justice and a right to be judged fairly.” Optimus’s field snapped out harshly in sync with his precisely pronounced words. “Two of the crimes you convicted Megatron of he did not commit.”

“So he says—“

“No, not him—the hundreds in attendance at the Kaon Arena are all witnesses.”

“Criminals—“ One Senator began to sneer only to be cut off by his Prime.

“Two well respected scientists.”

Haughtily. “How well respected can they be if they were in attendance at a _gladiator_ event?”

“The one you convicted Lord Megatron of _murdering_ was also in attendance, and **he** was Overlord of Kaon.”

“He admitted to the murder!” Another Senator tried arguing.

“He admitted to executing a criminal,” Optimus calmly answered in response.

The Senators all burst into denials.

“He was innocent!”

“We never convicted him of any crimes.”

Megatron growled and advanced on the last Senator. “You never even tried. I brought evidence—“

“Lies!”

Optimus frowned at them. “He does not lie.”

“He told you—“

It is Megatron’s turn to interrupt. “No!” His voice booming. “There are records of the evidence I found and the numerous times you refused to even hear me.”

“If there is such evidence, prove it. Present it to us.”

Megatron started to take another step toward the Senators, but halted at the sharp flare of Optimus’s field. Optimus regally asked the Senators, “So that you can lie to me again?”

“No.” They are the picture of hurt dignity. Optimus now knew better to believe them blindly.

Optimus directed the conversation to the purpose of this visit. “I have yet to receive a reason why you defied my order earlier this orn.”

“You were letting your feelings interfere with your judgment. We voted and overruled you.”

Nonplussed, Optimus responded, “My codes were used in that transmission as authorization for the crimes and arrest warrant without my consent.”

“We overruled you by vote,” is the non-answer he received.

“There is physical evidence that support Megatron’s claims,” Optimus informed them. The unspoken ‘You have no such evidence to support your charges’ is quite clear.

“Present it.”

Optimus gave them a rueful look at receiving yet another demand when they refused to answer his one question. “No.” The shocked fields of the Senators show that they plainly expected him to hand over the evidence—or, at least, not outright deny them.

“I asked for a decaorn to investigate and you agreed. I promised to present the evidence then when we reconvened and you agreed. You lost the right to see my evidence when you defied my direct order and broke that agreement.”

“We overruled—“

“If you had objections to my request, you would have brought them up while I was still present. **That** is Senatorial procedure to overrule a Prime’s direct order. You did not do this.” Optimus then paused thoughtfully.

“What evidence do you have that my judgment is compromised?”

There is silence, then a junior-Senator put forth unsteadily, “You—wished to investigate,” almost as a question. 

“I wished to collect sufficient evidence to convict a murderer,” Optimus said reasonably. “Collecting evidence is cause to declare your Prime incompetent?”

Stubbornly, one of the senior Senators continued to insist, “We have sufficient—“

Optimus’s field buzzes with annoyance and anger. “Then my investigation would have found more evidence to support the conviction!

“I will ask one last time: why did you disobey the direct order I gave, and _you agreed to follow_ , earlier this orn?”

“We have already given you our answer. Not I demand that you release us imm—“

“Ironhide, have they given sufficient cause?”

“No.” Ironhide shifted, his cannons rotating to reflect his aggression. The Senators watched his weapons warily while still managing to show him open disdain. “Sounds like they didna appreciate ya disagreeing with them.”

“A bodyguard?” An incredulous scoff. “What would **he** know?”

“Quite a bit. He has been bodyguard for a number of Primes. He knows exactly when it is reasonable to defy the Prime and when it is not.”

Megatron stepped up to his Prime’s side, flexing his untransformed arm in an echo of Ironhide’s movement. “He is older than you, dear Senator.”

Optimus asked mildly, in drastic counterpoint to the aggression of both Ironhide and Megatron, “Brother, do _you_ believe there was sufficient cause to disobey me—or overrule me?” 

“He is biased!”

Megatron growled lowly, “And you are not?” Optimus brushed his field against Megatron’s, reassuring him of his faith in him and reminding him to answer his question. “Their reasoning is merely a convenient excuse trying to cover their own crimes and remove me as an obstacle.”

Outraged denials echo through the room. Optimus ignored them with ease that spoke of long practice and turned his attention solely to Megatron, occasionally nodding to the senators to keep the appearance of listening.

_//Their crimes?//_

_//Ferrus could not have achieved what he did without aide from the Senate.//_

_//' Distracting me with frivolities and ceremony,' correct?//_

_//So it was the Vosians.//_

_//You let them go.//_

_//They had done nothing wrong. Witnessing me execute a traitor is not a crime.//_ The undertone was clear: Megatron did  not kill indiscriminately or without reason as the Senators accused him of. He had been there for one death and once he attained his goal, he left.

_//Did you know what Skyfire—the Shuttleformer—was carrying?//_

_//No. He does not seem the type to steal.//_ Curiosity laced the glyphs.

The way that Optimus’s field cringed was intriguing. Megatron had only seen it do that a very few times, always… _//The extinguished shell of one of the victims?//_ Megatron guessed.

_//A Chronicler-Carrier and the symbiont that was docked at the time...//_

To distract Optimus from his obvious grief, Megatron asked, _//How badly did Ratchet berate—Skyfire for his injuries? They were quite impressive.//_

Optimus’s field brightened a bit, allowing himself to be sidetracked. _//He is still grumbling about all his hard work going to waste.//_ Then became thoughtful.

_//Do you have enough_ legati _to assign to each Senator?//_

Quick calculation. _//Yes.//_

_//How soon can they be here?//_

~*~

Optimus’s voice cut through the din.

“The Senate is, as of this moment, suspended. All powers of their office are removed.” The resulting roar of outrage took almost a joor to calm as Optimus allowed them to vocalize all their disagreements without arguing with them. In the resulting silence, Optimus concisely said, “Be grateful that I am a merciful ruler. You have committed treason against both your Prime and your Lord High Protector before all of Cybertron.

“Ratchet, if the Senate had done this in your time as Senator, what would have been the outcome?”

“The same as Ferrus—swift execution by the Lord High Protector, but publically, instead of in private, to insure that all know the consequence of treason.”

The only sound in the chamber is the whirring of cooling fans clicking on as the stress of execution threatened to overheat numerous room occupants.

_//“Hmph. Seems like they finally understand the magnitude of their actions, for the moment. Give them time and they will regain their haughty self-entitlement.//_

Optimus answered his brother with the glyphs for _resigned/agreement_ , before coordinating the removal of the Senate from power.


End file.
